When DDL Goes Wrong: The Importance of Constructive Alignment for Learners and Teachers in DDL Contexts
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| Title: | When DDL Goes Wrong: The Importance of Constructive Alignment for Learners and Teachers in DDL Contexts |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Peter Crosthwaite (ORCID |
| Source: | The EUROCALL Review. 2025 32(1):45-63. |
| Availability: | European Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning (EUROCALL). EUROCALL Headquarters, School of Modern Languages, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland, UK. Tel: +34-67-943-1283; Web site: http://www.eurocall-languages.org/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 19 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Secondary Education, Data Use, Learning Processes, Secondary Schools, Secondary School Students, Intervention, Science Education, Technical Writing, Language Usage, Form Classes (Languages), Dialects, Verbs, Second Language Learning, English (Second Language), Preferences, Alignment (Education), Instructional Design, Constructivism (Learning) |
| Geographic Terms: | Australia |
| ISSN: | 1695-2618 |
| Abstract: | This reflection on practice study explores the critical role of constructive alignment (CA) in the successful implementation of corpus-based data-driven learning (DDL) in secondary education, focusing on two interventions conducted at an Australian secondary school. While DDL offers potential for enhancing language learning through corpus consultation, its integration into secondary school contexts remains hindered by limited teacher training, administrative support, or alignment with pedagogical goals. In this exploratory study, one DDL intervention targeting passive voice use in science writing succeeded, yielding learning gains and positive feedback. However, a parallel intervention for English as an Additional Language/Dialect (EAL/D) students, which aimed at mastering cognitive verbs, failed despite identical resources and the assistance of an experienced DDL practitioner. Qualitative data from students' discussion forum responses, written assignments and revisions, and post-intervention group interviews suggest the failure stemmed from a lack of CA, as materials designed for one cohort were misaligned with the EAL/D learners' needs, prioritising discrete linguistic items over functional understanding. Student feedback highlighted a preference for simpler tools like Google, reflecting poor engagement with DDL. Our findings suggest that without aligning DDL activities, learning outcomes, and assessments to the teachers' and learners' contexts, interventions risk failure. We therefore advocate for increased backward design, teacher-researcher collaboration, and ongoing evaluation to ensure DDL's efficacy, offering a cautionary tale for future implementations. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1490482 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This reflection on practice study explores the critical role of constructive alignment (CA) in the successful implementation of corpus-based data-driven learning (DDL) in secondary education, focusing on two interventions conducted at an Australian secondary school. While DDL offers potential for enhancing language learning through corpus consultation, its integration into secondary school contexts remains hindered by limited teacher training, administrative support, or alignment with pedagogical goals. In this exploratory study, one DDL intervention targeting passive voice use in science writing succeeded, yielding learning gains and positive feedback. However, a parallel intervention for English as an Additional Language/Dialect (EAL/D) students, which aimed at mastering cognitive verbs, failed despite identical resources and the assistance of an experienced DDL practitioner. Qualitative data from students' discussion forum responses, written assignments and revisions, and post-intervention group interviews suggest the failure stemmed from a lack of CA, as materials designed for one cohort were misaligned with the EAL/D learners' needs, prioritising discrete linguistic items over functional understanding. Student feedback highlighted a preference for simpler tools like Google, reflecting poor engagement with DDL. Our findings suggest that without aligning DDL activities, learning outcomes, and assessments to the teachers' and learners' contexts, interventions risk failure. We therefore advocate for increased backward design, teacher-researcher collaboration, and ongoing evaluation to ensure DDL's efficacy, offering a cautionary tale for future implementations. |
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| ISSN: | 1695-2618 |
